Have there been any scribble messy play art attacks on the walls, floors, or furniture at your house? Scribble messy play took to the stage here recently. Lots of kids got up close and personal with scribbles, as well as some adults, at the annual Children’s Book Fest hosted in the city.

Many of us have ‘been there and done that’ when it comes to early scribbles. Children’s author, Ruth Ohi, has just written and published a book called Scribble. In the story, the regular shapes of Circle, Triangle, and Square meet scribble. At first, they are not sure what to make of Scribble, but together they create waves on the water, a string to hold tight to a balloon, and more.

At the event, children were able to see and hear authors in small sessions. Ruth Ohi invited kids to come up to her giant easel and scribble. She talked to them and helped them feel comfortable in front of the group, called out Go, mimed scribbling herself with great animation and excitement, and then Stop. She added to the scribbles and it became a unicorn dragon. She passed out papers and crayons to all of the kids and encouraged them to scribble. (in the photo above, we made the scribble lines darker in order to see them)

Seeing all the kids scribbling away reminded me of a blog post on the site Messy Monkeys, “learning to ‘dot dot dot’ and ‘scribble scribble scribble’ gives your child a head start in the muscle development required for when they (sob…) head off to school.” Just like children babble and coo when they are first learning to speak, they make random marks and scribble when they are first learning to write.

photo courtesy of MFair

Scribbling can happen with crayons, pencils, chalk, paint, a stick, and more. As for options to paper—and the walls—they can scribble on sidewalks, driveways (watch for cars) and old sheets hung on a fence. Scribbles do not have to ‘be’ something. They might very well just be scribbles. As children scribble, they are not only learning about writing, they are experiencing the joy of creating and of expressing themselves in a form other than words. Could messy scribble play be part of your child’s day?

One paint brush and a few colors can engage kids in fun and learning over and over again, so it’s worth it to set up some messy painting activities. Some communities have art centers with studios where kids can go and paint up a storm.In the history of the world, art has a special place, and that includes paintings. As adults, we visit museums with masterpieces worth thousands and even millions of dollars. Works of art can affect our emotions deeply. In a way, they are time machines, allowing us to not only see, but feel the past.

For children, painting touches many levels. Physically, it gives kids the opportunity to practice their coordination and motor skills. It’s also highly sensory. Mentally, children are developing the skill of visualizing, or seeing images in their mind. There are other thinking skills too, like choosing, patterning, organizing, concentration, problem-solving and more. Emotionally, kids are exploring another way to express themselves besides words and behaviors.

It would be wonderful to have a home studio where we didn’t have to worry about kids, messes, and paint but there are solutions. Old sheets, newspapers, and plastic pieces can protect floors and tables. Spreading a tarp out in the yard gives lots of space to paint. Messy painting activities only need 3 ingredients: colors, some kind of tool, and a surface to put the paint on. Here are some tips from previous posts:

Alternatives to set-up: (other than easels)

floors, counter tops, tables, big trays, empty bathtubs, big boxes,

Tips for preparation and clean-up: (sanity savers)

wear play clothes or just essentials, cover the floor or other surface with newspaper, spread a tarp on the deck or patio, undress kids and set up paints and paper in the bathtub all ready to be rinsed when done, keep a hose handy outside, have camera ready for unbelievable moments

Maybe if we think of art play as creating art work, we’d include more messy painting activities for kids?

The name of the month inspires today’s post on kids marching, drumming play activities. After all, life is based on rhythm: breathing, heart rate, sleep-wake cycles, seasons, and more. Kids seems to drum naturally. They will tap a pot lid on the floor or hit it with a wooden spoon. Hands clap over and over … Continue reading March: Kids Marching, Drumming Play Activities→

We often don’t think of it as serious or important as academics, but art play boosts brain power. Art play helps develop the important skills of visualization and creativity. Brains think in words, but we also think in images. When we hear the words in a story, we create the images in our mind. When … Continue reading How to Steal a March #7: Art Play Boosts Brain Power→

We know the importance of exercise for bodies, and it’s also important for brains; for some brain fitness, include music play for kids. Music stimulates many areas of the brain at the same time. If we could see inside the brain when it’s listening to or creating music, we would see an amazing amount of … Continue reading How to Steal a March #6: Include Music Play for Kids→